How else to explain the fact that 1980s hit-making duo Hall and Oates, who gave a perfunctory performance a little more than two months ago at Sands Bethlehem Event Center, were so much better at the larger PPL Center in downtown Allentown on Wednesday?

The best-selling musical duo of all time played a 15-song set (including two encores) that was largely the same it played at the Sands.

But from the opening of its 1981 No. 1 hit "Maneater," the six-man band seemed better — not as schmaltzy Vegas — and Hall was more intense vocally that he was the entire show at the Sands. On the second song, "Out of Touch," he burned the vocals — so intensely he occasionally missed notes, but that meant less than the effort.

Even the occasional song that varied from the Sands show was better: "Method of Modern Love" — from 1985, it was newer than any song at the Sands — had more heft behind it. Oates brought out a nice guitar solo on that tune.

The 1977 hit "Back Together Again" sounded more dated, but was interesting to hear after all these years. "Las Vegas Turnaround (The Stewardess Song)," a throwaway at the earlier show, was much better this time.

It wasn't as if the crowd was that much larger. The arena was set up as half a house — the stage in the middle of the floor with half the venue curtained off — meaning attendance was likely no more than 4,000. (The duo sold out Sands Event Center's 2,600 seated capacity in February.)

But Hall and Oates clearly were invested in the show.

"We were just here," Oates said.

"Down the road," Hall replied. "That means you must like us if we're here all the time. … Feels like home, actually."

The hits were good. The 1973 breakthrough gold single "She's Gone" got a partial standing ovation, and the following song, "Sara Smile," a cheer of recognition on its opening. And though it was extended a bit too long (eight minutes), Hall finished with a nice falsetto.

He also had a nice turn on a stark version of the 1979 deeper cut "Wait For Me" — the first time he played keyboard on the night: At 68, Hall still has a formidable voice.

He sang stronger on "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)," which closed the main part of the set. It was updated to make it funkier, with a (slightly too long) solo by sax player Charlie DeChant. It had people in the first few rows dancing and the whole crowd clapping along.

Not everything about the show was better. "Rich Girl," the first encore, was too loose, though still a good song, and Oates, 67, played a surprisingly stinging guitar solo. The audience sang along loudly.

"You Make My Dreams" was perhaps the night's best: close to the original, and Hall wailing on vocals as the band thumped behind him.

The second encore, "Kiss on My List," was too loose, but it's a fun song, and it segued into a better "Private Eyes" to close the show.

At just 85 minutes, the concert, like the Sands show, seemed short, and again skipped such Top 10 songs as "One on One," "Adult Education" and "Family Man."

But Hall was right when, at the start of the encore, he told the crowd, "This is a good night. This is a good night."